A mentally disoriented woman in her early twenties recently dumped on the streets by a Baltimore hospital is a case of sheer indifference and negligence on the part of the medical fraternity. Rebecca (22), suffering from bipolar disorder and Asperger’s syndrome, was left on her own on a cold winter night outside the hospital. A passerby, who shot the entire episode and circulated the video on social media, highlighted the plight of the patient clad in a flimsy gown and crying at the bus stop.

When her mother, Cheryl, got to know about her daughter’s whereabouts, she reached out to the media to clear misconceptions about her daughter who was being called a drug addict and prostitute. The mother was shocked to see the treatment meted out to her helpless daughter. She termed the authorities callous and irresponsible “because they weren’t looking at her like a human being.” She was appalled by the apathy of the hospital staff.

Since the case garnered a lot of attention, the University of Maryland Medical Center apologized for their behavior and vowed to do a thorough investigation.

History of mental illness

Rebecca was struggling with bipolar schizoaffective disorder ever since she turned 16. Additionally, she also grappled with Asperger’s syndrome. When she turned 18, she started staying in Pathways, a rehab for younger people, until Christmas 2017 evening when she was discharged on account of skipping her medicines. Her mother stated that without medicines, Rebecca would experience a maniac episode. Since long, Cheryl was trying to get the legal custody of her daughter to gain access to her Social Security, housing and medication, however, she didn’t succeed because of the HIPAA patient privacy laws.

Cheryl filed missing person’s report a few days ago when her daughter stopped talking to her. It was then that she came to know that was in a Baltimore hospital. When she watched the video on Facebook first while scrolling her newsfeed, she couldn’t believe that it was her daughter. When she tried reaching the hospital authorities, she was given a cold shoulder and was asked to reach media relations office through an email. Unfortunately, no one came to her help. “The hospital wasn’t being helpful. Every person that I talked to at the hospital either hung up on me or told me to email the hospital, and that everyone was going to tell me the same thing,” said the distressed mother. But it was clear in the video that four security guards wheeled Rebecca outside the premises and left.

Highlighting the inadequacy of the hospital’s psychiatric unit to deal with a mental health patient, the mother has strongly criticized the action and has asked them to literally “close their doors” if they “don’t know how to deal with mental health issues.”

Compassionate treatment for mentally ill patients

Mental health problems can afflict anyone at any point of time. It’s not like people choose to fall sick. Just as there is a cause behind a physical ailment, mental disorders too spring from an underlying reason that needs to be diagnosed at the right time. If left untreated, a person with mentally problems can fall prey to other problems and can also get into substance abuse. Such patients deserve the highest levels of care and compassion to recover fully and regain control of their lives.

Sovereign Health not only helps people get rid of acute and chronic psychiatric illnesses, but also supports them wholeheartedly during the rehabilitation process. If you know anyone in the family or among your friends suffering from a mental illness, call our 24/7 helpline 866-973-7164 to know about our mental health treatment centers in California where the mission of our staff is to help individuals develop healthy relationship with their body and mind. For more information on comprehensive treatment plans for mental health disorders in California, you can get in touch with a representative via online chat.

Sovereign Health Group is a residential rehabilitation treatment provider that has programs and services devoted to mental health conditions. To learn more about our continuum of care, speak with one of our expert treatment consultants and begin the journey to recovery today!